Rose by Any Other Name

Fr. Stanley Bezuszka, SJ, professor of math and director of the Mathematics Institute at Boston College (and one of the founding fathers of new math), has been growing roses on campus since the early '80s with the help of Josephine Kokoska, his sister, who also works at the institute.

"We have about 25 Betty Priors and about 10 other varieties," says Fr. Bezuszka about the types of roses in the small garden. They used to grow vegetables, including zucchini, lots of zucchini. "We learned if you push your extra zucchini on people, you lose friends, but when you give them roses, you make friends."

This New House

Deron Lawrence, SJ, doesn't let his arm undergoing repairs stop him from inspecting a building undergoing repairs. Now that he has finished two years in the novitiate he is a collegian in humanities studies at Creighton University in Omaha. Fr. John Fitzgibbons, SJ, director of Deron's program, gave him the OK to put his MS in ecology and his experience as an environmental consultant to work. In between classes, Deron volunteers time with Omaha's Inner-City Coalition on the Environment, which renovates abandoned buildings for low-income tenants using recycled materials and energy-efficient technology.

Enchanted

St. Aloysius Parish, on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane, has been offering a 5:15 p.m. Saturday mass that attracts a congregation of about 500. Except for the readings and the homily, the service is almost completely chanted in English (the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei are sung in Latin); the congregation and the choir, conducted by professor of music Edward Schaefer, sing alternate verses of Gregorian chant and Renaissance works.

Cardinals

With the elevation of Archbishop Adam Kozlowiecki of Poland and Bishop Paul Shan Kuo-Hsi of Taiwan to the College of Cardinals in February, there are now eight Jesuit cardinals, the highest number at any one time in the Society's history. The others are Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja of Indonesia, Paolo Dezza and Carlo Maria Martini of Italy, Alois Grillmeier of Germany, Augusto Vargas Alzamora of Peru, and Jan Chryzostom Korec of Slovakia. contributed by Fr. Vincent A. Lapomarda, SJ

To Our Friends

The first issue of Lil Hbiebna (To Our Friends), a Jesuit publication from Malta, appeared in February 1945 with news and information ranging from the novitiate and St. Aloysius College on the island to Maltese Jesuit missionary activity in India. Its articles covering the work of the Society, Ignatian spirituality, and Jesuit saints, among other topics, are aimed at the parents of Jesuits, friends, benefactors, and alumni. But the magazine's impact is broad. "Quite a few Jesuits say they owe their Jesuit vocation to this magazine," says editor Fr. John Scicluna, SJ.

Xavier ex Machina

This statue of Francis Xavier (which may date to 1867) once again graces the entrance to Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School. It used to stand in front of the school's original locale but was moved to the back of the new campus and then relocated to near the school's stadium. Last November the statue took its place once again at the front of the school.

Pilgrim

Fr. William P. Leahy, SJ, president of Boston College, returned from the recent pilgrimage to Cuba led by Pope John Paul II with memories of people filled with a renewed faith. Fr. Leahy was among the 150-member delegation organized by Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law that witnessed the first papal visit to the last remaining communist country in the western hemisphere. "What most impressed me was the impact of the papal message and presence on the Cuban people," Fr. Leahy says. "Many of them stopped us and asked for rosaries and medals after the Sunday mass and wanted us to sign their mass programs. Clearly, from what I saw, there is a great deal of interest in the Church, and there is a type of faith that still remains in Cuba, even though the Church has been largely suppressed for the past 40 years. It strikes me as appropriate that we should reevaluate the embargo and perhaps send some signals that if Castro will allow freedom of religion and establishment of Church-related schools, then the United States will relax the embargo on medical supplies and maybe in certain other areas," Fr. Leahy continues, adding that deteriorating housing, food shortages, and limited medical supplies are common in Cuba.

New President

Fr. Edward Kinerk, SJ, has been appointed the new president of Kansas City's Rockhurst College, his alma mater. Fr. Kinerk, former provincial of the Missouri Province, succeeds Fr. Peter Ely, SJ, Rockhurst's president since 1996.

Resurrection at Red Cloud

Finishing touches are being placed on a new church at Holy Rosary Mission in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, slated to open Easter Sunday ('98). It replaces the original church, built in 1898, which was destroyed by fire on Good Friday in 1996. Many Lakota have been involved in the current project as construction workers, and students from the Jesuits' Red Cloud Indian School have helped design the stained glass windows in coordination with Fr. Dave Smith, SJ, art teacher at Red Cloud. Their designs are being turned into the actual windows in Nebraska and will be shipped to Holy Rosary. Contributed by Phil Nero

The Brothers Thro

These four Jesuits concelebrating mass also celebrate their relationship: William, Edward, Linus, and Thomas are linked by their last name, Thro, and their relationship to each other, brothers. Linus is professor of philosophy at St. Louis University; Thomas is pastor of Holy Family in Shell Knob, Missouri; William works for the Colorado Springs Diocese; and Edward is a member of the Fusz Pavilion Jesuit Community in St. Louis.